Plaster reenforcement



Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

UNITED STATES HERBERT n. ROBINSON, or MOUNT EBANON; PENNSYLVANIA.

PLASTER BEENFORCEMENT.

Application filed December 5, 1925. Serial No. 73,351.

My invention relates to reenforcement for plaster, and consists in a structure such in character that in the building of the walls of houses lath may be dispensed with; the structure of my invention may be applied directly upon the studding, and plaster may be spread upon it. It constitutes then a base andsupport for the plaster, and reenforcement as Well. In speakin of it as a structure useful in forming p aster walls I am merely alluding to an exemplary application. The invention is of wider applicability; it may similarly serve. in the 'facin of the outer walls of houses with stucco, an generally in the spreading of material which hardens after the manner of plaster, whether the surface over which the material is spread} be a wall surface or a floor surface, or a surface elsewhere situated. The objects of my invention are cheapness of production, and strength and durability of the finished structure.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a view in side elevation, Fig. II aview in vertical section, and Fig. III a view in horizontal section of a structure embodying my invention. The plane of section of Fig. II is in Fig. I indicated by the dotted line IIII, and similarly the plane of section of Fig. III is indicated by the line III- III. Figs. IV and V are views in perspective and to larger scale, and illustrate, in alternative form, a detail of structure. The particular form shown in Fig. IV is that which is present in Figs. I-III also.

The reenforcement of my invention consists of three component parts of elements: a fabric penetrable by the plaster or other material to be spread, a flexible backing of sheet material, and a spacing and securing member. The wire fabric 1 of the specific embodiment here shown may be understood to be familiar square-mesh wire fabric, formed in this instance'of .14. gauge wire with meshes two inches square, and with welded crossings. The'particular metal employ'ed, the size of the wire, the shape and dimensions of the mesh, and the means 0 working it into a so-called fabric, will be varied to meet particular circumstances.

- The backing of flexible sheet material is in this particular instance a sheet 2 of aper, The paper is' rather coarse in texture, eavy, and strong. The requisites of this backing sheet are that it shall be impenetrable by plaster, orsubstantially so, and that being attached at intervals to the wire fabric, it.

shall, when plaster is applied through the meshes of the wire fabric, yield and allow the plaster to flow around and to embed the wire; but such yielding must not be excessive. The sheet of paper forms in effect a slightly yielding mold wall, upon which the plaster is spread and shaped. Manifestl'y other material than paper may be employed; but paper is adequate and is partlcularly serviceable in that, capable of being made strong enough, it is cheap, and itmay be waterproofed. It offers a good bonding,

surface, permitting the plaster to harden and dry in a natural manner, and it tends to expedite hardening.

The spacing and'securing member underlies the paper, that is to say the paper lies against it on the side opposite that which the wire fabric engages. The function of -th is spacing. member is primarily to main tam paper at an interval from the surface,

whether continuous or interrupted, to which the structure may be applied, and so to insure space for the yielding of the paper under pressure, as the plaster is applied. The spacing member is also a securing member. To it the wire fabric is secured through the web of paper. And I shall describe alternative forms "which this spacing member may take, with particular reference to its service in securing the paper. The referred form is that shown'in Figs. I-I Thin metal-light tin plate, for instanceis bent to the T-shape, most clearly shown in Fig.

IV. This T-shaped spacing member 3 rs applied with the'stem of the T in ate bearing upon the web of pa er, as is clearl shown in Fig. II. rom the brane es of the T tongues 4 are slit and bent aside, and these tongues when assembly is made penetrate the web of paper, and their tips then are bent about the strands of the wire fabric 1. From Fi IV (and from Fig. V as well) clearness of illustration been omitted. But on consideration of Fig. II it will be per.-

immedlf ceived that the penetration of'the tongues 4 through the 'paper'and the bending ,of their tips around the strands of wire secures the parts and unites the'whole in an integral structure. The spacing members of the strip-like character now described are spaced at intervals, as shown in Fig. It will also be remarked that, extending in parallelism with strands of the wire fabric the web 0 paper has, for

they are in the makeup of the structure preferably spaced interme'diately Iibetween adjacent parallel strands. 0

The T shape is advantageous, in that the stem of the T makes edgewise engagement over a narrow area with the web of the paper, while the cross-bar of the T spaced at an interval from and extending in parallelism to the web of paper presents an extended plane surface to meet the surface of the studding orother supporting body to which application is made.

Instead of securing the parts by tongues bent from the substance of the spacing members, separate clips may be formed, of wire for instance, and may serve to tie the parts together. This alternative detail is illustrated in Fig. V, where a length of wire 40 is shown arching over the spacing member 30 and at its ends wrapped about a strand of the wire fabric 1. In this case it will be apparent that the spacing member need not be made of sheet metal. And of course it will be understood that the particular shape of the spacing member in cross-section is such as is found serviceable. The T shape is good: the head of the T abuts upon the supporting surface and the slender stem of the T, while accomplishing the end in view, offers the most narrowly localized restraint to the recession of the paper from the wire fabric when plaster is being applied.

The structure is assembled and integrated and is applied as a unit to the wall or other place of service. For use in building the inner walls of houses it may conveniently be made up in units fifty inches square. These ordinarily are nailed to place.

The structure of my invention may be applied directly upon the studding which forms a partition in the structure of a-building. It will'in such case preferably be applied with the spacing members 3 extending horizontally and bridging the intervals between the upright structural members. In such case the spacing members will serve additionally as stiffening members. When then plaster is applied these members 3 will hold the paper against too great bulging inward, and will efi'ect even and economical distribution of plaster.

It will be remarked that in my completed article the wire fabric is all on one side of the paper, and that the paper is held to the fabric at points only. In consequence the strands of the wire fabric will as the plaster is spread, be embedded in substantial entirety within the plaster. Thus the wire is protected from rusting and the finished plastered wall is not merely stronger and firmer, but it is also more durable than otherwise would be the case.

I claim as'my invention A foundation for material adapted to be spread in layer form, consisting of a sheet of fabric pervious to the material to be spread, a sheet of flexible material adapted to resist penetration by the material to be spread, and a spacing'strip, said sheet of fabric being disposed in its entirety on one side and said spacing strip being disposed. on the opposite side of the web of flexible material, the said spacing strip including in cross section two parts or members standing at right angles one to the other, one of said parts bearing at its edge upon said web of flexible material and extending perpendicularly to the plane thereof, and the other of saidparts extending in parallelism to the plane of said web of flexible material, the said strip being provided with uniting means penetrating at intervals the web of flexible material and engaging the said fab- I1C.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HERBERT H. ROBINSON. 

